Tea Time Run
by FoxOnPie
Summary: Azusa Joestar, a crippled jockey who wants nothing more but to walk again. Yui Zeppeli, a mysterious woman from Italy who uses the mysterious "Spin" that could be what Azusa is looking for. Together, they enter the world's greatest horseback race, the Tea Time Run, in order to achieve their goals, but they'll soon learn that fate has more planned for them. YuiAzu with minor Mitsu.
1. Yui Zeppeli and Azusa Joestar

**Fox: I… I have no idea why I decided to write this. It **_**still**_ **baffles me…**

**Pie: Don't let that stop you from enjoying it, though. **

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**The following is a non-profit fanfic. All characters are owned by their respective owners. Please support the official release. **

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Tea Time Run. This was the name of the greatest horseback race in history. On September 25th., 1890, 3,852 riders from all around the world traveled to the San Diego Beach to enter the competition. It would be a cross-country race that would end in Manhattan and award the winner 50,000,000 USD(United States Dollars). 2nd place earned 1 million USD, 3rd place 500,000 USD, 4th place 250,000 USD, 5th place 120,000, and special prizes up to 10th place, such as the checkpoint award, were available. It was to begin at 10 in the morning; our story begins two days before that.

* * *

In a hotel by the San Diego Beach, a man enters a room occupied by two women. The one of most importance is a woman of 51 with short, brown hair that was starting to gray and was held back by a childish yellow hairband; she was the director of the Tea Time Run Race, Ritsu Steel. Beside her was a girl who couldn't possibly be past her teens with raven hair that cascaded beautifully across her back; she was the director's young wife, Mio Steel, née Pendleton.

"We've had complaints, Director Steel," the man said, apparently an employee of Ritsu's. "The special toilets built on the beach are overflowing with waste. There is a horrible smell, and the maggots are swarming; a kid even fell into the waste…" The man went on and on about the various problems until Ritsu couldn't keep quiet anymore.

"Why the hell is there a komodo dragon on the beach?!" Ritsu yelled. "Also, it's _your _job to take care of all the problems; that's what I'm paying you for, moron!"

"But, ma'am, it's not just the inanimate structures that are causing problems; a good number of the foreign contestants are starting to bother others with their various customs."

"Then tell them this: 'If you have to eat dogs and show your privates, tell us why!' If they don't quit, kick them out; _I _am the law on this beach!" Understanding this, the man walked to the door as Ritsu silently gazed outside towards the hundreds upon hundreds of competitors. When the man left the room, Ritsu started crying into Mio's exceptionally large chest.

"WAAAAAA! What am I gonna dooooo?! I'm so scareeeeeed! What's gonna happen if this goes bad?! What if this race falls apart?!"

"It'll be alright," Mio said, rubbing her head. "You've been an entertainer for decades. Believe in yourself… Do your best."

"Okay... I got it…"

* * *

After that, Ritsu and Mio left for the Tea Time Run conference. Ritsu started off by reminding everyone of the course length, cash prizes, and requirements for entry. After that, the Q&A began.

"Baron Rockachugo of German royalty has announced participation with something called an 'automobile'; will this be allowed?" One reporter asked.

"I have already approved it," Ritsu replied. "The race's identity is the pioneering spirit. When the railroads were first opened, everyone said 'The age of horses is over'; I will accept that challenge. In this race that is the first of its kind, whether you're on a horse or a machine, no human has ever raced without rest for 70-100km a day with a total distance of 6,000km! Now… any other questions?"

"Will you be allowing weapons?" Another reporter asked.

"Hm… This is America, so everyone here is protected by our 2nd. Amendment. Competitors will most likely have to travel through dangerous areas with animals such as snakes. ...The answer is 'yes'! As long as nothing 'criminal' is done, any sort of weapon can be carried; everyone will provide their own security."

"Please tell us about some of the competitors!" A third reporter yelled.

"Gladly

"The cowgirl of Wyoming, Megumi Tim. She annually travels 4,000km through pastures with 3,000 cattle; she's also quite the looker. From the Arab country of Egypt, Urmd Abdul is participating with a camel! He crosses the Sahara Desert three times, annually! From the Far East, the equestrian master, Dot Khan! He is the descendant of Genghis Khan of the Mongol nomads that conquered Eurasia! And despite having origins from the low social rankings of Austria, she was raised by royalty and became a genius jockey of the horseracing world. Tsumugi Brando, commonly known as Mugi! Will her genius on the tracks work on long distance…?"

"The distance for this race is tremendous," a fourth reporter said. "If no one reaches the finish line in New York, it'll be a total failure! The sponsors will be furious! What will you do if that happens?!"

"I'll kill myself."

"?!"

"That was a joke. Listen up! Failure… true failure… is forgetting the pioneer spirit and staying away from challenging hardships! There are no such thing as 'failures' in this race! There are only 'adventurers'! This Tea Time Run Race will be an event the likes of which the world has never seen!" The crowd then invoked a roar of applause as a response to Ritsu's passionate words.

"One more question… is that girl your wife? She looks like she's 14…"

"That has nothing to do with the race; this interview is over."

* * *

At the same time as the conference, a woman approached the registration box for the Tea Time Run Race and handed the man in charge of the box the $1,200 entrance fee. The woman looked very well-built and had brown hair and eyes and was sporting a wide-brimmed hat, the rim of which contains uniformly-spaced slits that enables light to filter through. Situated around the crown of the hat are slitted goggles. She also wore a short-sleeved studded leather coat with similar leather pants and cowgirl boots, a scarf, and a belt with two holsters that each seemed to contain a steel ball.

"Hey, never seen _these _things before. What do you use them for?" A man asked as he approached the woman and moved a hand towards her steel balls. When he touched one, his legs suddenly bent backwards and he fell over. All of this was very surprising since the man was just "making smalltalk".

"Ma'am, you're $20 short for the entrance fee," the man at the counter said.

"Are there any discounts?" The woman asked.

"Of course not!"

"But didn't I just pay? I put it on the countertop… I did put it there…"

"I haven't issued a receipt, so what's short is short."

"So it _was _you, then," the woman said, looking down at the man on the ground. "Give me the coins you swiped from me! If I'm $20 short… I won't be able to enter the race, now will I? I wouldn't be able to win the race, now would I?" The man quickly handed her the money, allowing the woman to fully cover the fee. At the same time, the man regained feeling in his legs, and the local police came to arrest the man for trying to steal her money. The woman then started to walk towards the tenting area with plenty of swagger before the man who tried to steal from her yelled to her.

"It's not over, bitch!" He yelled, still being held by the police. "You think you're _so _tough 'cause you kept $20, eh?! Are those balls some sort of weapon?! You think you can kill someone with them?! Go ahead and try to kill me, then…" The man broke out of the men's arms, pulled out a gun, and pointed it at her, "before I kill you!" Any woman would be incredibly scared to have a gun pointed at them, but this woman was not like most woman. Before the man could fire, she took a steel ball out of its holster and threw it at the man's arm with an incredibly fast spinning motion. Like a boomerang, the ball flew back into her hand, and the man's arm was left with a spiral indent that somehow caused him to point the gun at himself and blow his own brains out. The crowd that watched this quickly dispersed at the sight of such a gruesome event, allowing the woman to go to the tents, uninterrupted.

"Hey, wait!" At least, that was the plan. The woman heard someone call out to her, so she turned around to see who it was, and was rather surprised. It was a girl who looked a little younger than her who had black twintails and brown eyes with a red-orange tint. On her head was a Knit cap with a hole on each side adorned with stars all over and a horseshoe on the front. Coupled with this cap, she wore a matching pair of star-patterned pants connected to shoes with and her torso's attire consisted of a hooded short sleeve with an undershirt and a feather sticking out the backside of the collar. On each wrist, she wore a blue wrist cuff adorned with white stars. It was certainly an interesting outfit, but what really stuck out was the way the twintailed girl approached the older woman; she approached her in a wheelchair.

"What's with that steel ball?! Let me see it again!" The handicapped girl reached out to it.

"Don't, moron! It's still spinning!" But it was too late; the girl had already touched the steel ball. When she did, something amazing happened. It was only for a few seconds, and she immediately fell back into her chair, but, despite her handicap, she was standing.

_What…?! Just now… what happened?! My legs, did they really move? All I did was touch that steel ball… so… does that mean…_ As the girl thought this, the woman had gotten on a horse that was trotting away.

"Wait! We're not done here! What did you do to me?!" The handicapped girl started rolling after the woman with the steel balls.

"Do you know the number one cause of death?" The woman asked atop her horse. "Illness from getting bitten by mosquitoes. Getting your face kicked in by a horse is number two; are you looking to change the ranking?

"Don't get any foolish expectations, kitten. I don't know your situation, but you standing up was just a coincidence; just a body reflex."

_Ki-Kitten?_ "Like hell! It was because of that 'spin'; I know it! If you won't tell me, I'll just touch it again!" The girl reached out for a steel ball, but the woman put a hand on hers. When that happened, the smaller girl's hand twisted and made her grab onto the gutter of a building.

"I'll give you this, kitten-"

_Again with that?!_

"You have very strong muscles… in your upper body, at least. Yes, I do utilize the 'Spin' as my weapon, but it won't make you walk again."

"You're wrong! I just walked, didn't I?!"

"Believe what you want, kitten; I gotta get ready for the race."

"Then… so will I!"

"?"

"I'll enter the Tea Time Run and make you acknowledge me! I'll leave you with no _choice _but to teach me about the Spin!" It was then and there that her hand gave out and she started to fall. But rather than hit the ground, the woman with the steel balls caught her and put her on the back of her horse.

"How do you plan on doing that, exactly? This is a cross-country race; you can't travel the whole 44 states on a wheelchair."

"I'll get a horse! I used to be a famous jockey, so I'll figure out something!"

"..."

"..."

"...Here's how this'll work."

"?"

"I don't know why everyone's in this race, and I don't care. You know why? Because none of that matters. You know why? Because _I'm _the one who's going to win. You remember that, you do what you can to ensure it happens, and I _might _teach you more about the Spin, got it?"

"G-Got it!"

"Good. Now, then… what's your name? Unless, of course, you _like _me calling you kitten, kitten."

"It's not 'kitten'."

"But you like it, don't you?"

"N-No!" A faint blush appeared alongside her suspiciously specific denial. "My name's Joestar. Azusa Joestar."

"Azusa, eh? Pretty cute name."

_Huh?!_ Azusa started blushing even more.

"I'm Yui Zeppeli. Let's work together so I can win! Nyohoho!" Yui turned around and flashed Azusa a bright smile, which would've looked very pleasant if it wasn't for the bizarre addition of gold grills with the words "GO! GO! ZEPPELI" on them.

_What did I get myself into?_ And so begins Azusa Joestar and Yui Zeppeli's bizarre adventure.

TO BE CONTINUED

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**Fox: Now you're going to say "This story is awesome! I gotta show my support!", right?**


	2. 1st Stage: 15,000 Meters

**The following is a non-profit fanfic. All characters are owned by their respective owners. Please support the official release. **

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_When I look back… for what reason did I come to this beach? _Azusa thought to herself. _Did I simply want to see the beginning of the race like the other spectators? Or was it nostalgia for the horses that have been with me since childhood? I was drawn to the beach by something. People are drawn to beauty… it's better when it's shiny and new. And if it's running, that's the most beautiful thing in the world._

_My name is Azusa "Catalpa" Joestar. I was five when I first rode a horse. From the saddle, I saw the muscles move… and I thought the sound of the hooves kicking the ground was beautiful. I believed I knew what the horse was thinking and feeling from the way it ran. My father… he… he liked my riding, I guess…_

_When I was riding, everyone showered me with praise. The time I won the Kentucky Derby when I was 16 was the best time of my life. One time, I went to a millionaire's home. The guy's son started taking his clothes off without me saying a word. "My parents are gonna be gone _all _night," is what he said. ...What was I supposed to do, right? My life was the best. I could have anything I wanted, and no one could, or _would_, get in the way. ...But then… two years ago… _

* * *

Two years ago, Azusa, with her current man candy, were going to see the play _Wild Horse_, but the line was incredibly long. Azusa didn't want to wait that long, but the guy insisted on seeing the play, so she decided to have them cut in line, assuming that no one would care, given how famous she was. With that in mind, the two of them went to the front of the line, ignoring the man who was standing there.

"Um… excuse me…" the man stammered, "but… this is, uh… the front of… the line…"

"...I see," Azusa said, clearly not caring.

"I… I've been… standing here… all night…"

"Good for you! You must feel _very _proud of yourself!"

"The back of the line is over _there!_" The man yelled, pointing away from them. "You're supposed to be in the back!"

"Shut up! That's enough! Listen up, punk. I 'bought' this spot; this spot belongs to _me_!" Azusa turned to the theater staff while pulling out $40. "Hey, you guys over there! I'm trying to wait in line, and this guy's bugging me! Could you get rid of them?" The staff members, taking the bribe, dragged the man away from the line. A few moments later, Azusa heard a loud noise. In her peripherals, she saw the man she had just cut.

"Whaaaaaat?! You again?! You're a persistent little bugger, aren't you?!" Azusa turned towards the man to yell at him, and when she did, she saw something frightening in his hands. He was holding a handgun. A _smoking _handgun. Azusa was able to put the last few things together as she fell flat on her face, blood spilling out of the wound on her back.

* * *

The bullet caused permanent nerve damage in Azusa's spine; she was completely paralyzed from the waist down. From there, her life fell into a downward spiral. None of her friends would talk to her, strangers stopped showering her with praise and asking for autographs, guys stopped wanting to date her; Azusa's life was ruined, and she only had herself to blame. If she wasn't so selfish, none of that would have happened. If something, _anything_, could happen that could get her back to where she was, she would be a new person. That's what she promised God if he would send her a miracle. That miracle's name was Yui Zeppeli.

* * *

It was now September 25th., half an hour before the start of the race. At this point, basically everyone who had signed up for the Tea Time Run Race was approaching the starting line. One of the last to do this was Azusa, who was actually being _dragged_ to the starting line by her horse on account of being unable to successfully mount it, earning some laughs from those who saw her.

"...I'm surprised you didn't ask for help, Azusa," Yui said.

"Why?" Azusa managed to say. "_I'm _the one… helping _you_. I help you… and you teach me the Spin… that was the deal…! How could I ask you to do that… if I couldn't even get up on my horse…?"

"Good point. If you had asked me to help you up onto the horse, I would've done it, but I would've ignored you for the rest of the race."

"..."

"You picked a good horse, though. An old horse like that will have a lot of experience and won't charge recklessly into dangerous areas. Because you were smart enough to do that, I'll give you a hint: "You already have the power to get on that horse, so why don't you?"

"...!"

"Nyoho!" Yui smiled, showing off her golden grills.

"...Hey…" Azusa said, turning to her horse. "Lick it… lick my face…" Azusa's horse gave a sort of nod of acknowledgement and leaned down to do that. When he did, Azusa put her arm over his neck and threw herself into the air with a fabulous spinning motion, eventually landing on the saddle in a sitting position.

_I did it! _Azusa thought with a smile.

_Wow! _Yui thought. _I thought catgirl would simply get onto her horse, but for her to do such a fabulous Spin after just seeing it two days ago… this girl has promise!_

_I did it! I did it! I did it! I can actually do it! I can ride again! This is great! This is awesome! This is-_

"Well if it isn't Azusa-chan!" came a voice from behind.

_-terrible! _Azusa knew that voice. It belonged to the person she hated more than anyone else. Azusa knew that this person wouldn't pass up participation in a race of this magnitude, but she was praying for the slim, slim, _slim _chance that this person would have something better to do. Now, hoping that this was true, Azusa turned her head, hoping to see someone who merely had a similar voice. ...Her hopes were useless. Useless, useless.

Sitting atop a large horse was the one person Azusa didn't want to see. She was wearing a green checkered sweater that didn't at all hide her large breasts and standard jockey pants, boots, and gloves. She looked at Azusa with a beautiful face and sapphire-blue eyes that was both sweet and vile at the same time; the pickle radish eyebrows didn't help with that, either. Her long, wavy blonde hair sat beneath a cap with the word "MUGI" written on it in a slanted fashion, acting as the final confirmation that this was the Austrian jockey, Tsumugi "Mugi" Brando.

"...Hello… Mugi…" Azusa said, her smile turning into a frown.

"? Friend of yours?" Yui asked, now getting involved.

"Not really. Back when I was still a jockey, we were rivals on the global circuit."

"'_Rivals_'?" Mugi repeated. "Correct me if I, Mugi, am wrong, but don't two people need to be in the same _league_ to be considered rivals?"

"..." Azusa had no retort. She and Mugi were often the best two riders in whatever race they were in together, so it'd be easy to think that they were rivals, but in reality, Mugi always won, and by a large margin, at that.

"You know, it really says something to see you here, despite your handicap, Azusa-chan. It says… 'They'll truly let _anyone_ compete in this race'."

"..."

"Well, I, Mugi, must be going to my spot. Try not to drop out after the first stage. Victory will be _so _much better if I, Mugi, attain it by crushing you." Mugi then trotted away with a sly smirk.

"..." Azusa truly hated Mugi. She was feeling excited just a mere moment ago, and now her mood was completely ruined, her head hanging down in sorrow.

"...Don't let Bushy Brows get to you," Yui said, patting Azusa on the back. "You're not a loser. You're more of a winner than anyone here."

"...Yui. I still want to help you win, but… is it okay… if I try to win this race… just enough…" Azusa's head shot up with a noticeable fire in her eyes, "to put Mugi in her place…?"

"Hmph! If you didn't want to, I surely would've!"

**THE "TEA TIME RUN" BEGINS NOW! **The announcer shouted as all competitors were now lined up. A flare was fired through the air, and all the riders sped off the starting line.

* * *

While the competitors raced, numerous journalists and rich and influential people followed the race in a nearby train, including Ritsu and Mio Steel.

"I will now describe the details of the race and routes," Ritsu said. "Between the 6,000km from San Diego to New York, there are eight checkpoints, indicated on each of your maps. These checkpoints are for identifying rank and time and checking for illegal activities, like changing your horse. The distance between each checkpoint will be called a 'Stage', meaning that there are nine Stages in total! Not only that, but the first person to reach a checkpoint will be awarded $10,000 and a one hour time bonus!"

"'Time bonus'?" A reporter asked.

"Yes. Let's say that, in the last Stage, the person who crosses the finish line first doesn't beat out the person who crosses second by more than an hour. In a situation like that, if the second person has a time bonus, _they'll _be declared the winner. But, even if it's enticing, you shouldn't overexert your horse to get it."

**LOOK! SOMEONE'S BREAKING OUT INTO THE FRONT!**

"?"

**IT'S A WOMAN! AN INCREDIBLY FAST WOMAN! SHE'S NOT SLOWING DOWN! LOOKING AT THE SADDLECLOTH, WE SEE THAT'S IT'S ENTRANT B-636, YUI ZEPPELI! SHE'S TRYING TO MAKE A CLEAN SWEEP OF THE WHOLE 15,000 METERS!**

* * *

_She's charging _here_?! _Azusa thought as she observed Yui's run. _Sure, she's riding a stockhorse, which has good speed and stamina, but that_'s _still too risky, given the length of the course! Is Yui really trying to win? ...No, of course she is. Her words didn't lack conviction. Of _course _she's trying to win._ As Azusa thought all of this, another rider's horse suddenly leaned in towards hers, clearly agitated by Yui's horse breaking out of the group. Azusa managed to move away in time, but as a result, the rider crashed into two others, essentially knocking them all out.

**WE JUST STARTED, AND WE'VE ALREADY GOT THREE PEOPLE OUT! CHARGING ISN'T ILLEGAL, SO THIS ACTION IS BEING ALLOWED! **

**AND NOW, ANOTHER RACER HAS LEFT THE GROUP! CHALLENGING YUI, IT'S THE AUSTRIAN RIDER, TSUMUGI BRANDO! BUT WAIT! THERE'S ALREADY SOMEONE IN YUI'S RANGE ON THE LEFT! IT'S URMD ABDUL ON CAMELBACK!**

Yui was shocked to see the Arabian get to her so fast; she never knew that a camel could be so fast. The animal looks slow, but its legs are twice as long as a horse's, so with its stride, it could easily keep up. Not only that, but an average camel was 1.5 times heavier than a horse, so it could easily knock one over, which was exactly what Abdul was trying to do by repeatedly bumping into Yui's horse.

**YUI'S LOSING SPEED! TSUMUGI BRANDO HAS TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THIS SLACK AND HAS STARTED TO ACCELERATE!**

Yui, realizing that she couldn't outrun the man on camelback, took out a steel ball and threw it with a spin into the distance. Then, for some reason, she led Abdul into a small grove of trees, even though she'd be done for if that camel knocked her into one. But before that could happen, Abdul's camel ran into a patch of cacti, causing it to collapse and causing him to lose the race.

Everyone was under the impression that the cacti were blocked by the grove, but Azusa realized the truth when she saw Yui's spinning steel ball in the dirt. When Yui threw it earlier, she made it kick up dirt to hide the cacti from sight; Yui had led Abdul into a trap.

"Whatever I can get, I'll take it… except disease…" Yui started as her steel ball flew back into her hand and was put back into her holster, "but especially a time bonus. Nyohoho!"

_You must be pretty proud of yourself, Yui Zeppeli_, Mugi thought. _But it's useless useless useless useless! You should've stayed in Italy, shoving pasta up your nose, because now I, Mugi, will _destroy _you!_

TO BE CONTINUED

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**Fox: Now you're going to say "This story is awesome! I gotta show my support!", right?**


	3. The Dried Up River and Jun

**The following is a non-profit fanfic. All characters are owned by their respective owners. Please support the official release.**

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**THE LEADER, NUMBER B-636, "YUI ZEPPELI," HAS STILL NOT DROPPED SPEED! SHE'S CHARGING! SHE'S CHARGING! TRAILING AT ABOUT TWENTY LENGTHS IS THE PRINCESS OF THE AUSTRIAN HORSE RACING WORLD, TSUMUGI BRANDO, AKA, "MUGI"! HOWEVER, SHE CAN'T CLOSE IN! YUI'S GOING TO MAKE A CLEAN GETAWAY!**

_No… that's naive…_ Azusa thought. _To think that Mugi, that _that _Mugi, would allow something like this is too naive! If you look closely, she's been moving her horse in a strange way. Chasing from the right, closing in from the left… the distance between her and Yui is gradually dropping; she's going to catch up! But… she wouldn't need those weird movements to do that… unless! _It was at this point that Yui noticed Mugi gaining on her.

"I, Mugi, was quite surprised about what happened with the camel rider, earlier; I, Mugi, guess he was small fry, after all," Mugi said. "And you are, as well." Mugi's horse then went back to the weird movements Azusa saw before. Yui was very confused as to what the purpose of it was, so she looked behind once more to see if anything was happening, only to be treated to a startling sight.

_She's gone?!_ Yui thought. _Where did Bushy Brows go?!_ Yui started looking around for Mugi, and when she found her, the two of them had somehow become lined up, even though it didn't look like Mugi had increased her speed, at all.

_I was right… Mugi discovered it! _Azusa thought.

"Everything… has its own habits," Mugi started. "Horses, especially, since they are living beings with more characteristics than humans.

_If one could read all of the habits of horses and attack at them during a race, everyone could be passed, regardless of stamina! Yui! I, Mugi, have figured out that every time your horse breathes eight times in a row, it sways to the left and loses speed!_ As Mugi thought this, Yui's horse took in seven breathes. As soon as the eighth one was finished, Mugi's horse accelerated a bit, allowing her to pass Yui by a neck.

_Therefore! If I, Mugi, speed up only when your horse sways, I, Mugi, can maintain a lead without my horse using up too much stamina._

_This is bad! _Azusa thought. _Mugi's figured out the habits of Yui's horse, and Yui probably doesn't even realize it! If things stay like this, Yui will never be able to reclaim the lead! The distance will keep getting wider!_ And wider it was indeed getting. Yui had no clue what was going on, but Mugi, who had brilliantly figured out the habits of Yui's horse, was manipulating it to continually widen her lead.

"Hey… what's going on here?" Yui asked.

"Hmph!" Mugi snorted. "This is racing of pros. Go stay in the back where you belong, you country bumpkin who can't understand her horse's own quirks."

"...You mean a habit? My horse has one of those?"

"Wouldn't matter if I, Mugi, told you, or not; it's not the kind of thing you can just fix."

**THERE'S THE 12,000 METER MARK! IT'S THE DRIED UP RIVER! MUGI, OR TSUMUGI BRANDO, WILL BE THE FIRST TO CROSS!**

Just like the announcer said, Mugi was indeed the first one to get onto the bridge, once again getting away from Yui by accelerating in the midst of her horse's sway.

**SHE CAN'T CATCH UP! SHE CAN'T CATCH UP! YUI ZEPPELI JUST CAN'T KEEP UP, ANYMORE!**

"Hey… just what kind of habits do you have?" Yui asked her horse. "Not gonna tell me, are you? That's fine, though. You don't need to fix your habits!" At that moment, Yui pulled out both of her steel balls and pressed them against her horse's legs with a powerful spin.

"Your habit is swaying, isn't it? If that's what it is, then go ahead and do it… and let it explode!" Yui's horse jumped into the air and landed ahead of Mugi's, and when it did, the wood planks that made up the bridge all cracked in front of Mugi.

**WHAT HAPPENED?! THE BRIDGE SUDDENLY SHATTERED! YUI WAS ABLE TO ADVANCE FAST ENOUGH TO NOT GET STOPPED BY IT, BUT NOW THE OTHER 3,600 RACERS HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO CROSS THE DRIED UP RIVER! MUGI INCLUDED, WHO NOW HAS TO CATCH UP A LOT!**

"That… that woman…" Mugi growled as she quickly turned her horse around.

_A… Again with the steel balls! _Azusa thought. _She used the steel balls to bring out her horse's habit at an explosive rate! This woman, Yui Zeppeli, is amazing!_

"Heeey!" A voice suddenly called out to Azusa. "Do you know where the leader is? Unless _you're _the leader… nah, your running's too lazy!"

"?" Azusa turned slightly to see the face of the person annoying her. It was a female competitor who had small, brown pigtails and looked to be about Azusa's age. She didn't know it yet, but this girl was Jun, a poor farmer who entered the race because a fortune teller told her that she would have 1/50,000,000 luck; ironic, though, that she overslept and missed the start of the race.

**THEY'VE JUST PASSED THE 6,000 METER SIGN! IT'S THE LAST STRETCH OF THE 1ST. STAGE, AND YUI ZEPPELI IS STILL IN THE LEAD! THERE ARE ROUGHLY 60-70 LENGTHS BETWEEN HER AND THE GROUP! WILL THE 1ST. STAGE END WITH HER MAKING A CLEAN GETAWAY?!**

"Ah! _She's _the leader, isn't she?!" Jun asked, though Azusa didn't respond.

_Yui's horse will start to tire, soon… _Azusa thought. _You should always wait for 2,000 meters before speeding up, but… if I lose her here, catching up could be impossible…_

_To me, this race isn't about winning or the prize money; it's about learning the "Spin". And in order to do that, I need Yui to truly acknowledge me! Being able to keep up with her would be the easiest way! I'll keep this distance for now, but I'll challenge her at the 2,000 meter mark!_ The 2,000 meter mark would be straight ahead from them, so as long as Yui and Azusa kept moving forward, they would run into it. However, before such a thing could occur, Yui suddenly turned right towards a nearby brush which, assuming she could clear the dangerous grouping of trees, would shave 800-1,000 meters off of her run.

_This girl's insane! An area like that will definitely injure the rider and horse! This girl's crazy! And now… I'm following a crazy person!_ Azusa quickly turned her horse to the right to follow Yui into the brush, but she wasn't alone in doing this, as Jun and an assortment of other riders went in, as well. When they did, the majority of them soon realized how careless a decision they had made as the branches continually smacked into them and knocked them off their horses. Some _were _able to avoid falling though, especially Jun. Jun, though, was incredibly impressive for not getting knocked off her horse, since she was riding through the brush with her eyes closed, as if she was saying that sheer luck would be enough for her. ...It wasn't. Eventually, a branch hit Jun in the neck and sent her falling off.

"Wha…?" Jun asked, aloud. "But… But I…"

_Just as I thought,_ Azusa thought. _Some thin and boring freak._ However, Jun didn't fall completely off. Her boot had gotten caught on the saddle, allowing her horse to gain more speed and pass Azusa.

"F… Fast! Fast! I'm so lucky! I can't believe how lucky I was to fall off the horse!"

_This chick's gonna catch up to Yui! Is this just chance, or did she plan it all out from the beginning?! _It was all chance.

"...The hell's going on back there?" Yui asked aloud as she observed Jun. "Whatever. I gotta clear these trees." Yui took out her steel balls and threw them with a spin at the trees in front of her, causing them to bend aside and allow her to pass with ease. When Jun had reached that same point, the steel balls returned to their master, and the trees went back to their original position, causing her to get smacked.

**OOH! SOMEONE'S OUT OF THE FOREST! AS EXPECTED, THE FIRST ONE OUT OF THE FOREST IS YUI ZEPPELI!**

**THE SHORTCUT WAS A SUCCESS! THERE'S AT LEAST 800 METERS BETWEEN YUI AND THE RIDERS WHO DIDN'T GO THROUGH THE FOREST!**

**WAIT! SOMEONE ELSE HAS EXITED THE FOREST! CLOSING IN ON YUI AT ONLY 5 LENGTHS BEHIND, IT'S… IT'S… WHO THE HELL IS THAT?!**

Yui turned around to see that the person the announcer was referring to was Jun.

"I really _am _a lucky girl!" Jun yelled. "I got hit by a branch and was knocked back onto the saddleeeeeeeeeeeee!"

"Who the hell _is _she?!"

**ONLY 4,000 METERS LEFT! AFTER THE DOWNHILL SECTION AND PASSING THE FARM, SOMEONE WILL HAVE FINALLY REACHED THE GOAL!**

TO BE CONTINUED

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**Fox: Next chapter is the end of the first stage, so look forward to it! **

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**Fox: Now you're going to say "This story is awesome! I gotta show my support!", right?**


	4. Final Stretch

**The following is a non-profit fanfic. All characters are owned by their respective owners. Please support the official release.**

* * *

**AND THE FINAL BATTLE BEGINS WITH THE LEADING RIDERS! ONLY 4000 METERS ARE LEFT UNTIL THEY REACH THE GOAL! THE DEVIL'S DOWNHILL STANDS BEFORE THEM! STILL ON TOP IS YUI ZEPPELI!**

Yui and Jun were the first ones to exit the forest. At the same time, the large mass of riders who opted for the safe route could be seen. This part would indeed prove treacherous, as the large slope of the hill that was cropped ahead of a flat farm required them all to move with extreme care, so as to avoid going too fast and tripping up. Yui, though, was more focused on the mysterious Jun, wondering just how exactly she caught up to her so fast.

"Don't worry, YOYOYOOOO!" Jun said to her horse. "I got 1/50,000,000 luck! Once we pass the farm, you can do whatever you want, so endure it until then!"

_**JUN! WHAT KIND OF IDEALISTIC TALK IS THAT? THERE'S THE COW, JUN! REMEMBER THE COW!**_

"?" _That's weird… I hear a voice from nowhere, but it doesn't sound like the announcer…_

_**SO, YOU CAN DO ANYTHING…?! **_Hearing the voice again, Jun started looking around to find its owner. _**HEY! DON'T GET DISTRACTED! YOU COULD FALL OFF YOUR HORSE!**_

"?!" This time, Jun was able to figure out where the voice was coming from: underneath her horse. "?!" What she saw completely freaked her out. Floating right beneath Jun's horse was some sort of creature with a bucket-shaped head and hollow eyes. Jun wanted to shout out something in shock, but since its voice and form were clear as day, yet no one else paid either any mind, she came to the conclusion that no one else could see it.

_**YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT, RIGHT?**_ The creature asked, now floating beside Jun. _**YOU'RE THE GUY WITH 1/50,000,000 LUCK! GO! DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE DOWNHILL AND JUST GO! HAVE FAITH! YOU'RE A LUCKY GIRL; YOU CAN BEAT HER IF YOU TRY! YOU'LL CERTAINLY WIN!**_

_...I have _no _idea what the hell's going on here! And yet… I feel like listening to this guy is the right move… _"YO! You!" Jun suddenly yelled to Yui. "Is that all you got? If so, then I proclaim that after I, Jun, pass you, you will _never _retake the lead!"

"Did you say something?" Yui asked. "Were you talking into my ass… 'cause I can't hear with my ass."

"Fall behind… you freak!" Jun suddenly accelerated her horse and passed Yui, inspiring other riders to follow suit.

"Dammit!" Yui cursed. She almost got lost in her anger and accelerated, as well, but she caught Azusa in her peripherals giving her a look that said "Don't mess up the race for yourself in a stupid attempt to oneup that idiot!" After seeing it, she calmed down and gave up on increasing her pace.

_This is just like in the forest… this Jun girl _looks _like an idiot, but she could also have some sort of strategy, here. No, no, no, forget that! Focus on the race! If she reaches the farm safely in the final stretch, I really _won't _take back the lead! Mrmmmm, forget that, too! Gotta pretend that Jun doesn't exist! Gotta focus on getting through the hill!_ As Yui thought this, Jun's horse, unable to maintain its crazy speed, tripped and fell. Yui smiled at this, but it immediately turned into a frown when she saw that Jun was still moving.

**J-JUN IS SAFE! SHE DIDN'T FALL DOWN! NO, SHE DEFINITELY DID, BUT SHE'S MOVING EVEN FASTER THAN BEFORE! WAIT A MINUTE… SHE'S RIDING SOMETHING! IT'S… IT'S A DEAD COW! SOMEHOW, THERE WAS A DEAD COW IN THE GRASS, AND JUN IS USING IT AS A SLED!**

_You mother… what the hell?! It's calculation! There's no mistake! She only _looks _dumb, but you couldn't be an idiot and do crap like this!_

* * *

"YOYOYOOOOO! So _this _is what you meant by the cow!" Jun shouted.

_**WHAT DID I TELL YOU, JUN? **_The creature asked.

"You were right! I'm listening to you from now on! Hmmm… but you should have a name, then. ...I'll call you… Midnight SUPERSTAR !"

* * *

"Shit!" Yui cursed. "Jun's gonna win, and she won't even be moving her horse to do it! ...I'm not sure if this is allowed…" Yui pulled out a steel ball and set it off into a spin, "but if you're riding a horse, you should _finish _on one!" Yui launched her steel ball towards a boulder to send it rolling towards Jun, but that was stopped when a pair of feet latched onto it, destroying its speed and reducing it to a gentle fall far away from Jun. "?!"

The feet belonged to a tall young man with short, straight black hair and blue eyes. Based on his outfit, he was a Native American, and he was clearly a competitor.

**WHO IS HE?! THIS GUY'S RUNNING! HE'S USING HIS LEGS TO COMPETE! SINCE HE WAS ATOP THOSE ROCKS, HE MUST'VE TAKEN THE SUICIDAL MOUNTAIN ROUTE! HOWEVER, HE CLEARLY DIDN'T DIE, AND NOW HE'S IN FIRST!**

**HAL! ACCORDING TO THE REGISTRATION, HIS NAME IS HAL THE SANDMAN! **

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"They just passed the 2,000 meter mark…" Mio Steel said from inside the train. "The race is almost over, but there's still some crazy stuff happening…" She was, of course, referring to the sudden appearance of Hal the Sandman which had sent all of the people on board in a frenzy. A guy competing on foot was ridiculous, already, but for him to be faster than a horse should be downright impossible.

"Hal must be going 30, no, 40km/h; it's the only way he could be in the lead;" Ritsu Steel said.

"Hold it, Mrs. Steel!" One reporter exclaimed. "Are you saying this guy's running 40km/h?! The world record isn't even close to that!"

"Then I'll explain it! When humans run, there's an impact when the foot hits the ground; the force of the blow knocks the joints and any muscles around, causing them to be fatigued. There isn't a way around it; even the strongest of legs will get tired! But in Hal's case, his heel only touches the ground for a brief moment. With that, all of the impact goes to his toes, allowing him to kick off the ground with incredible speed! The force of impact is going behind him, not in front of him, and he's recycling this energy to continually increase his speed!" As Ritsu said all this, Hal made his way to the cliffs and temporarily went out of sight.

"What? You're too good to run with the rest of us?" Yui asked Hal, though not loud enough to be heard. "Whatever. My real enemy is… _her_." Yui was, of course, referring to Jun, now off of the dead cow. "I'm not gonna win by just staring at that ass the whole time, and the same goes for staring at her horse! Let's ride!" Yui, abandoning all form of caution, accelerated past Jun and kept going faster. Eventually, Yui, Jun, Azusa, and the other riders ended up at the straight path leading to the Santa Maria Novella Church, where 20,000 people had gathered to see the conclusion of the 1st. Stage. A headwind from Mexico could be felt.

* * *

"You ran well, old horse…" Azusa said to her horse. "You've gained a lot of experience through this first Stage, but you can't stop here! You can keep going…! She's only 40-50 lengths away; let's surprise Yui by getting behind right behind her!" After a few seconds of silence, Azusa suddenly blushed.

_W-W-Why am I thinking like that?! Just because that _can _mean that doesn't mean I was thinking it! I mean, why would I… what smells like pickled radish?_ Azusa, going away from her perverted thoughts, turned around to see, coming up from the rear, Mugi, who should've been way at the end. "Oh fuck my ass!"

_There shall be no fucking of your ass today, Azusa-chan,_ Mugi thought with a sly expression. _I, Mugi, have carefully been riding behind the other horses to block the incoming air and decrease fatigue, allowing me, Mugi, to get back into the race! Only I, Mugi, am capable of doing this, and only I, Mugi, will become victorious in this- _Mugi's thoughts were interrupted, however, when Azusa's horse kicked up some rocks at her, distracting Mugi long enough for Azusa to widen the distance between them. _That little…!_

* * *

_**HEY, JUN, GO LEFT!**_ Midnight SUPERSTAR said to Jun. _**GO AROUND TO THE LEFT OF HIM.**_

"O-Okay!" Jun exclaimed. "I'm a lucky girl, so it'll work out! YOYOYO!" Jun, following Midnight SUPERSTAR 's advice, went to Yui's left. At that moment, Hal the Sandman reappeared from the cliffs eight lengths ahead of Yui, taking the lead. Then, Azusa, with Mugi behind her, broke from the group and got about five lengths from Yui.

**THEY'RE ALL LINED UP! YUI, JUN, MUGI, AND THE ONE WE'VE NOW IDENTIFIED AS AZUSA JOESTAR ARE ALL LINED UP, WAITING FOR THE RIGHT MOMENT TO PASS HAL THE SANDMAN!**

_Indeed, that's what they're doing… but I can't allow it!_ Hal thought to himself. _For my homeland, for my ancestors… for my sister…! _"Great Earth, lend me strength!" Hal suddenly sped up again, though it didn't change anyone's positions. Suddenly, though, out of nowhere, one of the riders broke through the line with enough speed to pass Hal; it was Yui.

"Hey, what's going on?!" Jun yelled. "I thought I'd take the lead back if I stayed on the left! What happened to my luck?!"

_**YOU'RE STILL LUCKY; SHE'S JUST LUCKIER, RIGHT NOW,**_ Midnight SUPERSTAR said.

"Azusa Joestar. I'm amazed you were able to get this far… good job," Yui said to her paraplegic associate. "By the way, kid… ever ride on a ship? I've been on one before. Did you know that the more headwinds a sailing vessel gets on its sails, the faster it will go? And this headwind, this headwind from Mexico, has been helping me from the start!"

"?!" Azusa then saw something that made it all make sense. _N-No way! Her scarf… it's wrapped around her steel balls! The Spin, combined with the headwind, has turned her scarf into a sail, greatly increasing her speed!_

**AND SHE'S PASSING RIGHT THROUGH! SHE'S PASSING RIGHT THROUGH! SHE'S CLOSED IN ON THE GOAL! AAAAAAAAAAND… WITH A 5 LENGTH LEAD, YUI ZEPPELI CROSSES THE FINISH LINE!**

"Nyohohohoho!" Yui laughed as the crowd of people cheered for her.

**...UM… IT HAS COME TO OUR ATTENTION THAT YUI HAS COMMITTED A PENALTY. AS REPORTED BY THE JUDGE IN THE AIR BALLOON, YUI ZEPPELI DISRUPTED THE RACE WITH SOME SORT OF WEAPON ON THE 13,000 METER MARK.**

The announcer was obviously referring to when Yui used her steel ball to knock over a boulder. She was right in thinking it was against the rules.

**AS SUCH, YUI ZEPPELI WILL NOT BE AWARDED FIRST PLACE, AND WILL NOW BE DEMOTED TO 21ST. PLACE.**

"...Nyoho?"

TO BE CONTINUED

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**Fox: Now you're going to say "This story is awesome! I gotta show my support!", right?**


	5. The Sheriff's Request to Megumi Tim

**Fox: …**

**Pie: …**

**Fox: …**

**Pie: …**

**Fox: ...What do you want from me?! I'm in college! And NYCC just happened! And the new Pokemon game was just released! A delay of this magnitude should be expected!**

**Pie: Let's just get it started. **

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**The following is a non-profit fanfic. All characters are owned by their respective owners. Please support the official release. **

* * *

In addition to how long it takes you to finish a Stage, each racer in the Tea Time Run Race was judged on how many points they had. Points were awarded to a racer after they crossed the finish line of a stage up until 21st. place. Because of Yui's demotion to 21st. place, 1st. place, along with the time bonus, 100 points, and $10,000, was awarded to Hal the Sandman. 2nd. was Mugi, earning her 50 points. 3rd. was the darkhorse Jun, earning her 40 points. 4th. was Megumi Tim, who had gotten to the front without anyone noticing to earn 35 points. Azusa somehow managed to get 5th. place and 30 points, but Yui, now in 21st. earned absolutely nothing.

_Yui…_ Azusa thought as she gazed at Yui, who was now seething with rage as she slammed a steel ball on a table of champagne.

"You have something to complain about, Ms. Zeppeli?" Ritsu asked. "Normally, you'd be disqualified for disrupting the race like that, so consider this a generous warning."

"...I don't have any complaints," Yui said with a scowl. "I won't bring it up, again. That was the past. Nothing I can do now but look towards tomorrow. Go drink your champagne." Yui picked up her ball and walked away.

"Um… Mrs. Steel…" an attendant started.

"Oh! That's right!" Ritsu suddenly remembered that she wanted to ask Yui about her origins. After the decision about Yui's demotion was made, Ritsu learned from her staff that Yui came to America from Italy on a royal's ship, meaning she's royalty, to some degree. A race like this was meant for the common man, so someone like Yui competing was rather odd. Ritsu decided to figure out her reason for competing.

"Hey, wait!" Before Ritsu could say anymore, a champagne bottle in front of her burst open, the cork hitting her in the chin. Soon, all of the other bottles went off, with only Azusa knowing that it was the result of Yui's Spin as she caught a cork in her hand.

"I feel… a little better," Yui said as she walked over to Azusa. "Hey, Azusa Joestar… wanna run the 2nd. stage with me?"

"Of course!" Azusa exclaimed, happy to hear Yui acknowledging her efforts. "I'll put on an even _better _show for you!"

"That's fine, I guess. Now then, lesson 2 of the Spin is… controlling the muscles."

"?"

"For example, if I grabbed your wrist, your muscles automatically know to bend back. The flesh instinctively protects the body by winding the muscle; it's only natural. However, the steel ball won't allow that. Once it makes contact with the skin, nature means nothing! If you don't believe me, put that cork against your horse."

"!" Azusa opened up her hand to see that the cork was still spinning. Following up on what Yui said, she put the cork against her horse's neck, causing its body to bend oddly and gently throw her off onto all fours.

"That's how you'll get _off _a horse, Azusa. The horse's muscles weren't acting naturally when you put that spinning cork against it. Of course, that could've happened without the cork, so long as you were using the Spin."

"...Wow…"

"I know, right? Now, let's go beat the 2nd. Stage with a one-two finish! Naturally, _I'll _be in first."

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While this was happening, Ritsu, with Mio alongside her, was in the midst of other business. The local sheriff had asked Ritsu to come look at something on the course of the 1st. Stage. She got very annoyed by the sheriff not telling her what he wanted her to see, but it soon became clear when she saw a gun on the ground. Tied around that gun was a long object. A long object that was lying by two similar ones that each went back to the stomach of a dead body.

"AAAAAAAAAAH!" Mio screamed at the horrific sight before breaking out in tears.

"What the hell is this, sheriff?!" Ritsu cried out. "Who the hell are these people?!"

"Their names are Mark Baker, David Hagen, and Paul Lucasa," the sheriff said. "All three of them were participants in your race. We got a report that their horses were running around in the wild. When we went to get them, we found their owners like this."

"Why, though?! How could this happen?!"

"You're probably thinking it was animals. For example, a vulture can drag a human's intestines out of their body in three seconds flat. However, the only signs of animals are hoofprints that were already here, and if you look closely, you'll see that those aren't intestines, but ropes."

"Then that means…"

"Correct. This was a murder, committed by human hands. Most likely, the culprit is someone in your race."

"! ...Dammit! A $50,000,000 cash prize combined with an area of little surveillance… I was a _fool _to not think something like this would happen! Even worse, the bastard who did this is probably still in the race, looking to kill whoever's a threat! Even so… the race will go as scheduled…! I can't afford to stop the race now…!"

"I thought so. That's why I called for help." When the sheriff said this, the horses in the area all started to bow. "This person is one that all horses give their utmost respect to." As the sheriff spoke, Mio stopped her crying when a bouquet of flowers were lassoed in front of her by a cowgirl with incredible swagger.

"Are you really married to her?" The cowgirl asked. "Quite a shame, if you ask me."

"Megumi Tim!" Ritsu yelled out in surprise, making the cowgirl back away from Mio and get on her horse, albeit with large amounts of swagger. "Why is she here? She a famous cowgirl, and she even came in 4th. in the 1st. Stage!"

"Exactly," the sheriff said. "If this murderer is after promising competitors, then Megumi is a likely target. She'll be able to catch the perp when he goes after her. Isn't that right, Megumi?" The sheriff expected a response, but Megumi was too busy examining the crime scene.

"...I once heard a legend that might be connected to this," she said after a bit of silence. "There's an old Indian story about a shooting star landing somewhere in the Arizona Desert. It is said that people who go where the star landed will be granted a 'mysterious power'. At the same time, though, those people will be possessed by evil spirits.

"One day, a white man walked into that area looking for emerald ore. When he left, he started killing others in a similar fashion and eventually shot himself out of guilt." Mio could only whimper at hearing such things.

"So, what, are the culprits body-snatching _aliens?_" Ritsu asked, sarcastically.

"Of course not, it's just a story. This has to be handled seriously."Megumi directed her horse over to the hoofprints that were there before. "These hoofprints have a little point at the top… quite unusual. Not only that…" Megumi took out her rope and lassoed a button off the ground. "This is a button from the jeans of the victim; it must have come off during the murder. I don't know who did this, but this guy's a fool for leaving such crucial pieces of evidence behind!" Megumi then did a rather over-the-top pose. I'll have him caught faster than you can say, 'Yee-haw'!"

"So cool…" Mio said.

"What was that?" Ritsu asked.

"Nothing!"

TO BE CONTINUED

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**Fox: Now you're going to say "This story is awesome! I gotta show my support!", right?**


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